Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Well, to be honest Christmas felt a little different to me this year, I suppose simply because my whole mood had changed to some degree considering the trials my family had faced this past year. I usually type up a letter to send to family and friends sharing some of our best memories over the year and update them on the kids and how much they've grown, etc. And truly there were so many great times to remember - our family reunions, Disneyland, etc. But how could I write about those things and not write about the things that impacted/altered our lives (particularly mine) the most this past year. So I gave it up all together.

The Lord must have known (of course :) that maybe I needed an extra boost to encourage me to remember my many blessings and the "reason for the season" this year. He must have prompted our dear friends to chose us as their "12 Days of Christmas" recipients. This was fun and did lighten things up. Our kids loved running to the door and peeking out the side windows to see what surprise they'd left us each night. I'll tell you what - they had to be fast in their escape too because our kids were quick to answer the door. I had a sneaky suspicion as to who our "gifters" were (knowing our friends liked to do this as a family tradition each year) and although they usually don't reveal themselves to those they choose, they decided to this year with us (figuring we knew who they were). It really was very fun!

And once we got right up to the holiday where we carried out some of our own traditions (sleeping under the tree as a family the night before Christmas Eve, reading the Christmas story from the scriptures along with "T'was the Night Before Christmas" and opening one present each on Christmas Eve, etc.) Christmas this year kind of miraculously turned into one of the best Christmases I can remember. It was just such a relaxed, great holiday where I truly cherished every moment spent with the ones that mean the most to me.

We just did our own thing, stayed home and enjoyed a quiet Christmas with lots of yummy food. I made my mother-in-law's delicious cinnamon rolls for breakfast on Christmas morning and decided that would be a great traditional breakfast. And later, we had a traditional ham and potatoes with all the delicious side dishes. All the food reminded me of my mom's cooking which was nice (seeing as we weren't able to see them this season as her and my step-dad serve their mission in Belize). There's just something about having traditional cooking that brings back memories and makes certain holidays more special or homey or something to me. I love it!

So Christmas day was filled with yummy food, loads of excitement, and even some work. As you'll see below - the girls got new bedroom décor and we started working on moving Vanna from Cash's room, taking down Rosie's crib and putting the girls together in one room with their bunk beds.

So...I'll give the traditional run-down of what we all received this year. Ty has wanted to work on doing more cardio exercise rather than just weight lifting so his big gift this year was an elliptical machine. He also got a book and some Wii games from his parents and a movie, treats and orange to fill his stocking. Ty's grandma also gave him and each of us a keepsake to cherish (she is almost 90) which was amazingly thoughtful and so sweet.

A couple months ago, we got a new Kirby vacuum and decided that was going to be my Christmas (because they're so expensive) but I also got a calendar & planner along with treats and a book lamp and orange to fill my stocking. Ty's parents also got us a beautiful serving platter, bowl and gravy boat set and my favorite - almond roca. I've always wanted a gravy boat (is that silly?) and a nice dish to place the Thanksgiving turkey on in the future - I felt so spoiled!

Cash finally got his Nintendo this year. He'd been asking for it three years running - never wavering - however "Santa" had thought maybe he was a bit young for it until now apparently. :) He was beyond thrilled! He also got a couple games and a Nintendo set that included a car charger, ear plug, cleaning supplies, etc. to go with it. He also got some books and clothes. He got some cozy new pajamas and Wii games from his Grandma and Grandpa Bazil and an electric toothbrush, some treats and an orange for his stocking as well.

Next is Vanna Marie. She got new bedding and room décor for the room she and Rosie will now share. She also got a new outfit and an animal flashlight which was the one thing she'd asked Santa for. She also got books (including one that teaches her simply ways to draw animals - she loves to draw!) and this Flutterbye flying fairy. You should have seen her face when she opened it squealing, "This is what I always wanted!" Hmm...how did Santa know? It's actually really cool, almost like a remote control helicopter. It takes off flying into the air and all you have to do, when it begins making it's way down, is place your hand under it, somehow it detects that and makes it's way back up into the air. She also got cute pajamas from her grandparents and treats, an electric toothbrush and an orange for her stocking of course.

Rosie Posie looks delighted with her new present doesn't she!? Especially when her brother or sister pushed her around on it!

She simply loved opening the gifts. And as she did, she'd walk over to dad to show the new treasure to him and then to me to show me.

Much of what Vanna and Rosie got was shared - their new bedding, and bedroom décor (much of which is pictured with Vanna). But she also got books and pajamas both from mom and dad and Grandma and Grandpa Bazil. In fact, she liked those ones so much she immediately started stripping her clothes off and insisting that we put them on her. She had woken up early before Cash and Vanna and since she's to young to understand what the day was and run out to the tree, we waited until they woke up so they all saw their surprises at the same time - I just got her ready as I got myself ready that morning. Anyway, she wore those pajamas the rest of the day - they are pretty cute complete with a little tutu! And if you couldn't guess at what filled her stocking - she also got treats, an electric toothbrush and an orange as well.

Both Cash and Vanna got electric scooters as well. You can imagine their surprise and delight when they saw those in the family room! It didn't take long before they demanded we take them outside to give them a try. Cash caught on right away but Vanna struggled a bit with knowing when to let go of the throttle and actually grew a bit scared of the scooter since it would keep going, until I got on it with her and helped her. I think she'll get the hang of it - it may have been a bit advanced for her but Santa must have figured she'd want one too when she saw her brother with one. :)

My dad and Jannie gave us a big jug of seeds for a huge variety of fruits, herbs, and vegetables. Now maybe this sounds funny but it was actually a very good idea I thought. We put them with our emergency kits where they would prove very useful should we be without the ability to run to the store during a catastrophe. They gave each of the kids money which is burning a whole in their pockets of course. They loved it!

My mom and Tab are so funny. They had already started purchasing Christmas gifts when they got their mission call (that's my mom - the planner) and so we literally had a bit of Christmas in July when they gave us our Christmas gifts before they left. They got Ty some waders for fishing which he's excited to get out and use. And over the past few years they've bought me more of my Willow Tree Nativity Scene, piece by piece. They bought me the wise men and a few more animals this year - yay! They also got each of the kids toys and jackets - the kids have already worn them lots of course!

Ty had Christmas Day off of course and, although he had to work on Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas, we were pleasantly surprised to see that then he had six days off in a row (since they had to re-arrange everyone's schedules a bit to accommodate the paid holidays). We decided to take the family on a "stay-cation" to McCall over that span of time.

We left on Monday the 30th and took the long way up through Horseshoe Bend so that we could take the kids on a train ride. It's really a beautiful scenic area and you can go on a train ride right along the river. It was pretty (so beautiful to see the river frozen in areas, etc.). The ride takes three hours and I figured that half way through the kids might start getting bored so I brought plenty of books and snacks and even let Cash bring his new Nintendo but they all did very good - even Rosie. In fact Cash didn't even pull out his Nintendo. I was a bit surprised it turned out so great!

Half way through the ride, the train makes a stop for bathroom breaks, hot chocolate/apple cider and to explore their little village.

Love this picture - what's in there?!

Some of the beautiful country we saw along the ride!

After the ride, we drove up through Cascade (which again, is just beautiful country) and on to McCall where we had dinner and checked into our hotel. The kids always just love to swim so of course, as soon as we checked in we headed to the pool.

The next morning after breakfast we wandered through the town of McCall and through many of the shops. There's always a couple we make a point to stop at - a rock shop that carries all sorts of petrified stone, wood and polished rocks, etc. The kids are so fascinated by the treasures in there and so is Ty. I had to take Rosie out to the car after only a couple minutes for fear she'd break something. :) And of course we have to stop at the candy shop. They have the best caramel apples there - my favorite is first covered in caramel, then white chocolate and then covered in a sugary/cinnamon mixture - so yummy!

After we killed time at the shops though, it was time for the indoor ice skating rink to open and so we gave that a try. I guess it was a good experience - fun to try something new but oh boy we had the hardest time. Hahaha. Cash, who is usually a natural at most anything, struggled most. He kept falling and falling and then he'd get all dramatic with waving his arms around when he was slipping that he'd fall some more. And he was so hard to help with all his antics because he'd knock you down too. Poor kid. By the end of it all though he was starting to get the hang of it a bit. Miss Vanna started out very slow and cautious taking the tiniest of baby steps but she didn't want our help and really she did great. She got a little more brave as time went on and I think she enjoyed the experience. I'm not sure Cash could say the same. Hahaha. We tried to give Rosie a chance but she didn't go for it, so Ty and I took turns with her on the benches and watching while the other went out and tried to help Cash and Vanna a bit.

Afterwards, we warmed up and ate a yummy meal at the Pancake House in McCall. It was my kind of restaurant where they serve delicious home-made fill-you-up kind of food. The kids were worn out and slept pretty much the whole way home (2 hour drive). We got home really good time so I was able to get things put away, start laundry and then sit and relax. Funny how you try to get away to relax, and you do, but then you also want to return home to relax. Hahaha. It was a fun little get away and really we all had a great time it just felt like over the whole holiday season we had so much good quality time together and I think that's what made it all so wonderful for me - I love that!

Looking back I just sigh with contentment over what was such a great holiday!

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comments:

Looks like your family had a great christmas with lots of fun things! You'll have to take pictures of the girls' room, would love to see what you did with it. What a great idea to have helmets on the kids for ice skating- we've been a few times and that would be handy- although Hallee could have benefited from a mouth gaurd thingy- since the last time we went she slipped and fell and chipped her tooth, which has not been a fun thing to deal with!

I'm not very good at commenting, but know that I do enjoy reading your blog from time to time. I appreciate the time you take to share part of your life. We miss you guys so much. I hope one day our paths will cross a bit closer again.

A Little About Me

I have been married to Ty now for ten years - he is a wonderful husband and father! We have been blessed with three amazing children! Cash is 8 and is an energetic and animated boy to say the least! Vanna Marie is an independent and beautiful girl who is 6 and who loves to sing and play the piano. Rosalie is our little sweetheart (almost three now) - we enjoy her addition to our family so much! I love watching the kids interact with one another and spending as much time as possible together as a family.

Kids Say/Do The Darnest Things

June 2010:

*As I was teaching Cash about cows, I would ask him, "What is a baby cow called?", "What kind of things can we make from the milk we get from cows?", etc. I asked Cash the following question as well: "What do we call daddy cows or boy cows?" To which he responded, "Cowboys!" - I thought it was a pretty clever answer.

* We just got a kitten and whenever he is relaxed and purring near Cash, he is sure to inform us that the kitty "is burping" (it's how he says purring which I think is so cute/funny).

July 2010:

*I asked Cash to hold a picture of Jesus Christ for me while I was preparing my Sharing Time for Primary and as soon as he got it into his hands he hugged it and said, "I love Jesus - he just my best friend." It was such a sweet reminder of the love we should have for our Savior as well as a reminder of the true friend he is to all of us - of his love for all of us! October 2010:

*Ty was wrestling around with Cash and said "Cash, you're such a goofball, do you take anything serious?" Cash answered, "yeah.". "What?" asked Ty. To which Cash responded, "macaroni and cheese."

January 2011:

*Cash: "twice and a half"

*Cash: "It's my pleasure."

*Vanna is always getting into my lotions and lip gloss and whenever I discover her in the act of doing so, so reassures me that it's okay for her to be getting into my goodies by holding up her hand in a 'stop and listen to me' motion and says, "tiny tiny tiny bit" while pinching her thumb and index finger together. I guess if it's just a tiny tiny bit, it's okay right?!

*Cash: "That was totally wicked awesome!" He's so animated - love his use of adjectives!

*When Cash gets scared at night we'd often ask him to be brave and try to comfort him by asking him to say a prayer or reminding him that Jesus is watching over him through the night and that we're only across the hallway from him, etc. Lately, however, he will tell us he's all out of brave or that he doesn't have anymore brave.

March 2011:

*I still have to help Vanna wipe when she goes big potty so when she asked me to help her the other day, I went in to the bathroom to find nothing in the toilet. She adamately claimed to have gone though so I thought maybe it was just a tinckle and wiped her anyway. Well, when I discovered that she was actually dirty I asked if she went potty again. She said, "yeah in Hank potty-garage." When we were through, she went out to the garage where our cat's litter box is to show me that yes, indeed she had gone poop in the cat's litter box. Ahhh! I guess I should be glad it wasn't anywhere else - but still, how nasty. We had a little talk and I hope it doesn't happen again - it will certainly be a good blackmailing story and looking back, it was pretty hilarious.

*Cash: "I'm getting so grumpy at you!"

*Cash: Cash sneezed today and afterward informed me that I forgot to say "bless you" so of course, I said, "Oh, bless you". He responded with: "Thank you for that - I appreciate it." He's using such sophisticated terminology lately (like "terrible, beautiful, awful, just horrible" etc.)

*I asked Vanna to put a pair of her dirty socks in the dirty laundry basked (located in the kids' bathroom). Well, instead of doing as I asked Vanna flushed them down the toilet! I don't know where she's getting these peculiar ideas lately!

April 2011:

*When I have to get after Vanna for one thing or another, she'll begin crying and put me on a huge guilt trip by saying, "You make me sad Momma, you bein' mean Mommy!" Ohhh, isn't that so heart-breaking?! I really do feel so mean when she says it.

*"Don't get mad - be glad!" The kids saw the Glad (garbage bag) commercials on TV once and they picked up on their slogan right away and are so clever in their use of the slogan in our home. Often times when I get grumpy they'll burst out with "don't get mad - be glad/get glad"! Oh what a quick mood lifter!

June 2011:

*The other day I had to put Cash in the corner and when I did he sobbed, "You're breaking my heart to piece". Well this did break my heart and I had to explain that I don't like putting him in the corner but when he chooses to be disobedient there has to be some sort of consequence. This did nothing to console him - btw where do all his dramatics come from? :)

October 2011:

*Vanna in her loudest voice will sing/say: "I don't know - I been told!" - like the army chant and Cash says it like this: "I don't know what I've been told!"

*When the kids were away to Grandmas and Grandpas while I was on bedrest, Cash would occasionally get home sick. My mom told me one day that on one of Cash's particularly hard nights (just before they got to come home), he was listing off all the things he didn't like about his Grandmas and Grandpas homes and one of them was their decorations. He said he only liked the decorations at our house. I thought this was a funny (albeit sad too) comment - it was just Cash's way of saying he was ready to come home!

November 2011:

*In his prayers, Ty will often pray that I will be able to "carry the baby to an appropriate time" (or something similar) and Cash has picked up on the idea and so in his regular prayers he will say, "bless that Mommy can carry the baby to the doctor" or "bless that Mommy can carry the baby and not drop the baby". It's really quite darling and quite hilarious at the same time with the way he must be thinking of "carrying".

January 2012:

*In her recent prayers Vanna always prays for her baby sister: "Bless the baby can be safe and reverent."

*When I have to get after Cash for misbehaving or not listening, etc. and afterwards we talk things over and/or apologize, Cash has been saying, "Do you think you can try harder to be a better mommy?" What he means by this is: Will you never put me in the corner again?":) After I let the slight sting of guilt wash over me, I then say something real clever and turn it back on him, such as: "Do you think you can be a better listener?"

*Rosie snorts when she really gets upset and cries.

February 2012:

*Vanna is so good about always randomly saying "I love you" to me every day, several times. Now she also says, "I love my baby" referring to Baby Rosie. So sweet!

*As I was giving Rosie a bath when she was only a couple weeks old, she grabbed hold of her hair (she has a whole head of long blonde hair) and locked her little fingers in a fist around it (why is that babies often have their hands in such tight fists?:) and would not let go. She was pulling her own hair. When I finally managed to pry her fingers loose, her head in that area was bright red from her tugging - but she never cried through the whole thing! I just thought it was so funny!

*At 7 weeks, Rosie consistently sleeps 51/2 to 61/2 hours for her first stretch at night. Then, after I get done feeding her, she usually sleeps another 2 to 3 hour stretch before she's really awake for the morning.

*Also at 7 weeks, Rosie smiles all the time. Early on, she'd often smile just as she was dosing off while nursing, but now her smiles are for real-when she's fully aware. She's such a good happy baby. We're so blessed to have her in our family!

March 2012:

*In Vanna's prayers lately she's been praying for the missionaries but she pronounces them: "the marry missions". :)

* The other day Cash asked me to guess what his favoritest show in the whole wide world was. I guessed Cars 2 (because we just checked it out from the Library and I knew he was excited to watch it for the first time). His response was, "Well, that is my next favoritest...and Scooby Do but what do you think is my very favorite?" I said, "I don't know, you tell me." His reply, "GENERAL CONFERENCE!!!" This proud mom was beaming!

June 2012:

*Cash sometimes calles cigarrettes "smokearrettes" when he's trying to explain that he saw someone smoking and that it's not good for you, etc. etc.

*Vanna heard Cash say the following (and keeps repeating it as if she cleverly came up with it all on her own :) -

Vanna: I know how to make you say "how". Me: How?

July 2012:

*Vanna has always been so good to tell us she loves us and for months now, just randomly, she will come up to me and/or Ty and say, "I love you with all my heart." It is the sweetest thing and certainly melts your heart!

*The other day in the van, the kids pulled out their scriptures (they like to carry them along with us in the van) and Vanna started: "Chapter 1, and it came to pass...." I thought it was so funny that she recognizes that common phrase in the scriptures and repeated it on her own.

*A friend of ours had a 8-yr. old (Macie Jensen) who was being baptized and when she was asked who she wanted to speak at her baptism, the young girl said, "mmm...Vanna". Her mom had to explain that Vanna was probably too young to speak and that maybe it would be nice to choose someone from her family to speak. She shared this with me and I thought it was so sweet, I had to record it.

November 2012:

*Vanna - "Do I have school tomorrow?" Mom - "Yes." Vanna - "Awww man (in her best drawn out whiny voice)." Mom - "Don't you like school?" Vanna - "Well, I DO like the snacks."That's our sugar baby! :)

April 2013:

*Over dinner we were discussing the need to take care of our things. The kids would say things like "well, if it breaks we can just buy a new one" and Ty said something like, "Where do you think money comes from? do you think it grows on trees?" Vanna responded, "No Dad - it grows in the ground!" :)

November 2013:

*Cash came home the other day with a new song he's learned from school: "Girls go to college to get more knowledge, boys go to Jupiter to get more stupider!" Funny he didn't use it to his advantage and switch the girls and boys around. :) Anyway - where do kids come up with this stuff right?!

October 2014:

*Cash and Vanna were at their friends' house playing in the back yard when the neighbor came out and yelled at them to "get the h... away from her property before she calls the police" and the like. You can imagine how this upset all the kids who didn't even realize they were near her property line. It just so happened that I was there to pick the kids up right after this happened and when we pulled into our driveway, the waterworks began. Cash particularly wouldn't settle down. He kept saying, "I don't want the cops to come and put me in jail!"